Monthly Archives: August 2014

As the Canadian Football League gets set to celebrate Labour Day the View from the panel is back to take you inside the game.

Dave Thomas, Michael Ball, Mike McCullough will break down the week that was in the Canadian Football League.

As well the boys will take you inside the Weston Dressler signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Joining the crew this week will be former Winnipeg Blue Bomber and Saskatchewan Huskie and Saskatoon Hilltop Brian Guebert. He will talk about the Blue Bombers turnaround, inside the training camp of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and how youngsters can get involved in the game in Saskatoon this fall.

Well never have I ever been so happy to be wrong as I was last Sunday when the Saskatchewan Roughriders pulled out a big win over B.C. That incorrect prediction cost me a perfect week, but the 3-1 record moved my overall mark on the campaign to 22-and-15.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced international wide receiver Weston Dressler has signed with the team.

As per club policy terms of the contract were not released. Dressler (5’7 – 179) returns to Saskatchewan after attending training camp with Kansas City Chiefs where he played three preseason games, recording one 19-yard kickoff return.

The Bismarck, North Dakota native has spent his entire six year pro career with the Green and White. After 98 career regular season games the 29-year-old sits third in franchise history with 442 receptions and 6,536 yards, while his 43 receiving touchdowns rank fifth all-time.

Not a lot of movement in the Power Rankings from a week ago. Does that mean that teams are starting to settle into their pecking order or have their not been enough inter-division match-ups to separate the men from the boys?

One thing is for sure is that the west is clearly the best and there is going to be one very good team on the outside looking in at the CFL play-offs.

Here’s where the teams rank through nine weeks in the Canadian Football League:

9 – Montreal Alouettes (1-7) LW 24-16 loss at Winnipeg – Last Ranking #9 (5 weeks)
No quarterback, no consistency, no real improvement, no movement in the power rankings.

8 – Ottawa REDBLACKS (1-7) LW: 32-7 loss vs. Calgary – Last Ranking #8 (4 weeks)
Ottawa is giving teams a run for their money as they were right with Calgary heading into the final quarter. However, there depth is and will be a concern all season. That could be rectified quickly, however, if they are able to land free-agent Weston Dressler who they are prepared to open the vault for.

Well as time winds down on summer vacation here in no particular order are my thoughts from the week that was in the world of sports in no particular order.

10 – Mixed Emotions: I’m not sure how to feel about the release of Weston Dressler from the Kansas City Chiefs. There is the excitement of possibly seeing him back in the CFL. There also is the disappointment for him that his dream of playing in the NFL may be over.

9 – Courting Dressler: To no one’s surprise every team in the Canadian Football League will offer Weston Dressler a contract and with the salary cap rising the will be a lot of dollars thrown at the perennial all-star. Many in Rider Nation believe he make take a home town discount especially considering that he worked for the team in the off season. That all being said I think it truly is a 50-50 shot as to whether or not he returns to the only team he has known in the CFL. I was shocked when Andy Fantuz left the fold. Time will tell for Weston.

Oh how the mighty have fallen! The Montreal Alouettes have by far the most problems on and off the field and they are finding new ways to compound the matter. Last week’s decision not to go for a tie and attempt a two-point conversation was a BIG tactical error by Head Coach Tom Higgins. The Als need to find a way to stop shooting themselves in the foot, and quick.

With the graduation of 11 fifth-year athletes in 2013, the University of
Saskatchewan Huskie football team will have a different look at many positions in
2014.

The Huskies, who finished 5-3 and third in the Canada West standings in 2013, return
seven starters on both offence and defence including third-year quarterback Drew
Burko, 2012 All-Canadian receiver Kit Hillis and 2013 All-Canadian safety Mark
Ingram.

To say it has been an interesting time in the world of sports would be an understatement! The Prairie Football Conference season kicked-off the CFL is in full swing and believe it or not we are almost in training camp mode.

In no particular order here are my thoughts from the world of sports from the last seven days.

10 – Offensive Offence: Yes, the Saskatchewan Roughriders understand that there offense needs to get better in a hurry especially with three west division opponents in the next three weeks. That being said I’m not sure that it is a personnel matter. In fact I think the Green and White are out thinking themselves. The Riders entered their game with Montreal as the top rushing offence in the league, the Alouettes had the worst rushing defence. For whatever reason the Riders decided to put the ball in the air as opposed to running the football and trying to capitalize on that mismatch.